Gunplummer

I always cut my own, even when a kid (Pop helped and showed how). In later years I got lazy and started to drop them off. Then about 25 years ago I started hunting out of state. I don't know for sure, but people tell me the average butcher charges over $100 just to cut up a deer now. Multiply that times 3 or 4 deer! We camp for the week and sometimes it gets warm (70's once). We take coolers and 2 gallon zip lock bags to rough cut. We hang the deer and cut everything off the bone and stick the meat in the bags, and then pack in ice in the cooler. If it is really hot, we drain the melted ice every day and make sure we put more ice in. I have taken meat home after 6 days and it made my hands numb trimming and grinding it. We don't get fancy cutting when we take it off the deer. I have plenty of time to trim the meat once it is in coolers. I don't like soggy meat so I use the zip lock bags. I do have a heavy duty electric grinder, but for years we used a hand grinder I bought at a yard sale. To freeze the meat, I double wrap in Saran Wrap and then put it in big zip lock bags. Never had freezer burn that way. I tried a vacuum seal machine someone bought me, but we do a couple deer and it would overheat and shut off all the time. Look up LEM Products on line.